Moon Child (Complete!)

Chapter 14

I threw bread and cheese at Apex's feet. After last night he earned some of my food. The morning air was crisp the sky was painted pink with the rising sun. Song birds chirped from branches I couldn't see. 

If we were lucky we would make it to the portal by tomorrow afternoon. Since last night I tried and failed to summon any of my powers. Even my wolf was silent inside of me. That made me vulnerable. This has never happened before. How could I not be able to shift?.

It was like someone had taken a part of me. Shifting was a huge part of who I was. I relied on it. I refused to be scared, being scared meant being vulnerable. Apex looked at me begging for more food. the ground where the bread and cheese had been was empty. 

"You ate all your food already." I chided him shaking my head. He just gave me a stern look before taking off into the sky moving north.

"I guess we should get going then." I mumbled. 

I folded the sleeping bag up. Stuffing it in my bag, I got it securely inside. I slung the bag over my shoulder looking at the river one last time. Walking would be my only choice now. 

The hot afternoon sun beat down on me despite the trees. There was no breeze resulting in this stifling heat not even the shade could touch. I had all but drained my water bottle. All that was left is enough for about a couple more mouth fulls. Apex had flown ahead of me out of sight. Once and a while I would glimpse him coming back towards me, before he would once again disappear.  

Sweat clung to me. It made my shorts stick against my legs. I felt dirty with grime. Fantasizing about getting to another river I imagined the coolness of the water taking away the days heat with it.  

I stopped leaning against the trunk of a tree. My feet ached from walking so many miles. I was used to being in wolf form with going so far. My stomach grumbled signaling that it was time for lunch. I looked to the skies for Apex but he was nowhere to be seen. A lunch break wouldn't hurt. We had only four more miles to cover today.

Sitting down on the dirt covered forest floor I crossed my legs. Pulling my bag onto my lap I searched its contents for another piece of jerky. I sat the bag aside, looking at the bland looking piece of meat with disgust. It was better than starving. I could learn to like it's toughness. Apex liked it at least.

I sat and ate in silence. A squirrel ran up a nearby tree peering down at me. Moving an inch caused the squirrel to flee higher on the tree disappearing. 

"Where is your eagle friend?" I jumped up alert. To my left stepped out a young man. He looked to be no more than twenty. His short cropped black hair glinted in the light. Dark scruff lined his face. The green of his eyes sparkled with menace.

"Who are you?," I blurted out watching him stop a few feet from me.

"None of your concern, you'll find out soon enough." He flashed me a wicked smile revealing to sharp of teeth. I bit back the scream that rose in my throat. It would be useless to scream. Probably fuel him even more. I stood my ground staring him down with a equally vicious stare.

"O, you're fiesty I like that." 

"You're sick"

"Am I?" He asked tilting his head to the side. That's when I noticed deep red gouges around his eyes. I hid the shaking of my hands.

"Maybe when Valric is done with you, he'll let me have some fun."  Again he flashed me that smile.

 Another one of Valrics minions then. If he had any shape shifting ability like Valric did..."He will be most disappointed when he realizes you returned empty handed."